Hoisting apparatus for use with a mobile gun



March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,242,813

HCISTING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A MOBILE GUN Filed Nov. 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ARE/VT GUSTAV CARLSSON A TTORNEYS March 29, 1966 A, c sso 3,242,813

HOISTING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A MOBILE GUN Filed Nov. 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

ARE/VT GUS T4 V 6341?!- SSON BY Ham, MA

" "IW y March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON HOISTING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A MOBILE GUN Filed Nov. 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet S INVENTOR.

ARENT GUSMV CARLSSON A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,2 i2,813 HQISTENG APPARATUS FGR USE WITH A MOBHLE GUN Arent Gustav Carlsson, Karlskoga, Sweden, assignor to Aktiehoiaget Boiors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,471

Claims priority, appiieation Sweden, Nov. 13, 1963,

12,526/63 4 Claims. (Cl. 89-46) The invention described herein relates to a hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting crane for loading a magazine for rounds of ammunition arranged on and supported by an elevating system of a mobile gun, said elevating system carrying, among other components, the gun barrel and a mechanism for conveying rounds to be fired from the magazine to the barrel. The mechanism is pivotal in a vertical plane about pivot hearings in an assembly carrying said elevating system and determining the axis of the elevational motion of the barrel. The expression magazine is intended to include any means for supporting one or more rounds in a position from which they may be rammed into the barrel by ramming means.

Such hoisting apparatus supported by the elevating system of a gun usually comprises a crane boom, and such boom, to be capable of cooperating in the loading of the gun, must extend a considerable distance rearward of the loading mechanism and the magazine of the gun. As a result, considerable difficulties are experienced in maneuvering the gun during transport over rough terrain because of the rearwardly extending part of the boom.

One object of the invention is to provide a hoisting apparatus comprising a crane boom that may be brought at will into certain predetermined positions in relation to the elevating system of the gun, and in particular, either into a loading position in which the rear end of the crane boom extends a predetermined distance rearwardly of the magazine for lifting and conveying the rounds forward for loading the magazine, the elevating system of the gun during such loading being elevated into a position in which it occupies a predetermined loading elevational angle, or into a gun transport position, in which the elevating system is swung about its pivots into a position in which the gun barrel is directed essentially parallel to ground level in the transport direction of the gun. In such transport position, the crane boom has its longitudinal axis located essentially in the same direction as the barrel, although it is shifted forward relative to the elevating system as compared with its position when said system is in its predetermined elevational angle for loading the magazine. By this arrangement the desired result is obtained; that is, the crane boom may be brought into a transport position in which it does not protrude rearwardly of the gun to the extent required for the performance of its proper function for hoisting and conveying rounds from behind the gun when loading, thus essentially avoiding the otherwise present danger of the boom being a hindrance during transport and being exposed to damage by obstacles in the terrain.

With this object in view, the invention relates to a hoisting apparatus of a mobile gun, the barrel of which is arranged in an elevating system mounted pivotally on a carriage and carrying also a round magazine, said hoisting apparatus comprising a crane boom supported by said elevating system by means of two supporting means, one being a front supporting means and the other a rear supporting means, and a hoisting unit arranged so as to travel along the boom for conveying rounds along said boom. The rear supporting means includes at least one supporting rod, one end of said rod being pivotally Patented Mar. 29, 1966 attached to the crane boom at a location rearward of the front end of the boom, and the other end of said rod being pivotally attached to the elevating system. The rod ends are attached to the boom and the elevating system, respectively, by means of one joint each, articulating in a plane perpendicular to the elevating system pivot axis. The front supporting means is arranged at the forward end of said boom and is attached to said elevating system by means of a guide means secured to the elevating system at a distance from and forward of the location of attachment of the rear supporting means to said elevating system. The supporting means secured to said front part of the boom is displaceable in said guide means in a direction essentially parallel to the gun barrel. The front supporting means is further provided with means for locking the front end of the boom in said guide means against displacement relative to the point of attachment of the rear support.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the front supporting means comprises a threaded sleeve, which is pivotally, although not rotatably, mounted on the forward end of the boom, said sleeve mating with a threaded spindle, which is mounted in bearing on the elevating system essentially parallel to the gun barrel. This spindle is restricted from moving in its longitudinal direction in relation to the elevating system and is rotatable in order to change the position of the threaded sleeve in the longitudinal direction of the spindle and thus also the position of the forward boom support relative to the elevating system.

In a preferred embodiment, the rear supporting means comprises two supporting bars, together constituting a gantry having one leg located on each side of the boom and the parts of the gun to be served by means of the hoisting apparatus.

The invention will become more fully apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view schematically illustrating a mobile gun including the hoisting apparatus according to the invention in a position for loading a round magazine of the gun;

FIG. 2 is the same side elevation of the gun with the gun in the transport position;

FIG. 3 is a view of the forward part of the crane boom including the front and rear supports; and

FIG. 4 is a View of the front support in a preferred embodiment.

The gun as illustrated in the drawings comprises a mobile carriage 1 movable on tract chains 2 and chain wheels 3. The carriage carries the elevating system of the gun, which is pivotally suspended in horizontal pivot bearings, diagrammatically indicated, pivotal about the elevational axis 5 of the gun. The elevating system comprises a gun barrel 4-, a round magazine 6, and further, conventional means (not illustrated) for operating the gun, arranged within an enclosure 7 and in connection with the round magazine 6.

The hoisting apparatus for conveying rounds from behind the gun to the round magazine 6 thereof is arranged above the magazine and the enclosure. The hoisting apparatus comprises a crane boom 8, a trolley hoist 9 including a hoist rope It] and a hook 11, by means of which a case 12 containing a supply of rounds 13 can be hoisted at the rearward end of the boom and brought forward and down into the magazine 6 for loading the magazine.

For this purpose the boom 8 extends beyond the magazine 6, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the gun and the hoisting apparatus thereof are illustrated in the magazine loading position, with the barrel elevated into a predetermined loading elevational angle of about 35 or i w r 40 and with the crane boom occupying an essentially horizontal position, so that the loaded hoist trolley may be brought forward along the boom with moderate effort.

As is evident, when the gun is to be moved over terrain, such a position or a similar position of the boom relative to the magazine would give rise to considerable inconvenience, and in order to eliminate difiiculties caused by the boom protruding a considerable distance beyond the other vital parts of the gun, the boom is arranged on the elevating system of the gun as described below:

The forward end 14 of the boom 8 comprises a front support, generally designated 15 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, arranged to be displaceable in a direction essentially parallel to the gun barrel along a guide unit 16 extending essentially in the direction of the gun barrel and rigidly attached to and movable as a unit with the elevating system. As appears from FIGS. 1 and 2 and as is further illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide unit 16 is secured to the enclosure 7 of the elevating system. The front support may be set to different positions along the guide unit and locked in a selected position against displacement in the direction of the guide unit. In particular, the front support may be locked in a rear position, in which the crane boom extends horizontally when the gun is ele vated to the predetermined position for loading, and a front position in which the crane boom is essentially parallel to the barrel, thus extending essentially horizontally and brought forward in relation to the other parts of the gun during transport of the gun.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of this front support and the guide unit cooperating therewith. The support comprises a threaded sleeve 17 which is pivotally, but not rotatably, fastened to the boom. The guide unit includes a rotatable screw spindle 1S mating with sleeve 17, the spindle 18 being carried in hearings in a spindle housing 19 preventing the spindle from being displaced in its longitudinal direction. The front support may thus be moved along the guide unit by turning the spindle 18, this turning being effected by any suitable means, such as a motor and gearing device, arranged within the enclosure 7 and not further illustrated in the drawing. The forward end 14 of boom 8 carries two pivot bearings 20 for pivots 21 by means of which the end of the boom is attached to the threaded sleeve 17. In principle, the threaded spindle 18 may serve as a guide for the front support of the crane boom, as means for shifting the position of this support and as a locking means for maintaining the support in the selected position. In the embodiment as illustrated in the drawings, the spindle is essentially free from forces originating from the load carried by the boom and the boom weight, acting transversely to the spindle, by the pivots 21 being equipped with rollers or sliding bodies 22 engaged between guide bars 23, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the guide unit 16 on both sides of the spindle 18.

The rear support of the boom comprises two support bars 30 arranged on either side of the round magazine 6, the left-hand one of said bars, as viewed in the forward direction of the gun, being illustrated in FIG. 3. One end of each bar 30 is secured to the crane boom 8 by means of a joint 31 and to the gun elevating system by means of a joint 32, said last-mentioned joint being located so far behind the rearmost position of the front support of the boom that a sulficient stability in the magazine-loading position, is obtained, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

As mentioned above, the gun, when loading the magazine, must be brought to a predetermined elevational angle, in which the elevating system with the magazine 6 occupies the position illustrated in FIG. 1. In this position of the elevating system, to bring the crane boom into the required position for loading by means of the hoist trolley 9, the front support of the boom is moved to its rear position at the rear end of guide unit 16 by turning the screw spindle 18. The length of the support bars 30 and the distance between their pivotal joints 31 and 32, respectively, and the front support 15 are so selected that the crane boom extends essentially horizontally at a distance above the magazine 6, so that the case 12 for rounds may be brought forward to a position above and down into the magazine 6 by means of the hoist trolley 9.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the magazine 6 is provided with doors 35, which are opened to leave the magazine free to receive rounds which are brought forward by means of the hoist in the loading position of the gun as illustrated in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment said doors are connected via a trans"- mission, not shown, to the motor and gearing device mentioned above for turning the spindle 18 in order to shift the position of the front support, so that the doors are swung open when the crane boom is brought into the loading position in relation to the elevating system by turning the spindle 18, and are swung into their closed position when the crane boom is shifted into its transport position. A transmission suitable for the purpose is readily apparent and may be provided in a conventional manner.

Obviously, the means for displacing the front support of the crane boom in a direction essential parallel to the gun barrel may comprise means other than those illustrated in the drawings by way of example. So, for instance, these means may comprise a hydraulic cylinder and piston motor, the cylinder of which is secured to the elevating system with the cylinder axis essentially parallel to the gun barrel, and the piston rod of which is attached with a pivotal joint to the forward end of the boom, thus constituting the front support of the boom.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hoisting apparatus of a mobile gun having a barrel arranged in an elevating system mounted pivotally on a carriage and carrying a magazine for rounds of ammunition, said hoisting apparatus comprising a crane boom, a front supporting means and a rear supporting means for supporting said boom on the elevating system, a hoisting unit arranged to travel along the boom for conveying rounds to the magazine along said boom, said rear supporting means including at least one supporting rod, a first joint pivotally attaching one end of said rod to the crane boom at a location rearward of the front end of the boom, a second joint pivotally attaching the other end of said rod to the elevating system, said joints articulating in a plane perpendicular to the elevating system pivot axis, said front supporting means being secured to the forward end of said boom, guide means supporting said front supporting means and attached to the elevating system at a. distance from and forward of the location of attachment of the rear supporting means to said elevating system, the front supporting means being displaceable in said guide means in a direction essentially parallel to the gun barrel, and locking means for locking the front supporting means in any selected position in said guide means against displacement relative to the point of attachment of the rear supporting means.

2. Hoisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rear supporting means comprise two supporting rods, together constituting a gantry having one leg located on each side of the boom and the parts of the gun to be served by means of the hoisting apparatus.

3. Hoisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said front supporting means comprise a threaded sleeve,

which is pivotally, although not rotatably, mounted on the forward end of the boom, a threaded spindle mating with said sleeve, said spindle being rotatably mounted on the elevating system essentially parallel to the gun barrel, and means restricting movement of the spindle in longitudinal direction in relation to the elevating system for changing the position of the threaded sleeve in the longitudinal direction of the spindle by rotating the spindle.

4. Hoisting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the magazine comprises an upwardly directed door articulating about a hinge and comprising driving [means for turning the spindle for changing the position of the front supporting means, said driving means being connected to the door for swinging the door open when moving the front supporting means in a rearward direction and for swinging the door into the closed position when moving said front supporting means in a. forward direction.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

0 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Examiner. 

1. A HOISTING APPARATUS OF A MOBILE GUN HAVING A BARREL ARRANGED IN AN ELEVATING SYSTEM MOUNTED PIVOTALLY ON A CARRIAGE AND CARRYING A MAGAZINE FOR ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION, AND HOISTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CRANE BOOM, A FRONT SUPPORTING MEANS AND A REAR SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BOOM ON THE ELEVATING SYSTEM, A HOISTING UNIT ARRANGED TO TRAVEL ALONG THE BOOM FOR CONVEYING ROUNDS TO THE MAGAZINE ALONG SAID BOOM, SAID REAR SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SUPPORTING ROD, A FIRST JOINT PIVOTALLY ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID ROD TO THE CRANE BOOM AT A LOCATION REARWARD OF THE FRONT END OF THE BOOM, A SECOND JOINT PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE OTHER END OF SAID ROD TO THE ELEVATING SYSTEM, SAID JOINTS ARTICULATING IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE ELEVATING SYSTEM PIVOT AXIS, SAID FRONT SUPPORTING MEANS BEING SECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID BOOM, GUIDE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FRONT SUPPORTING MEANS AND ATTACHED TO THE ELEVATING SYSTEM AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID FORWARD OF THE LOCATION OF ATTACHMENT OF THE REAR SUPPORTING MEANS TO SAID ELEVATING SYSTEM, THE FRONT SUPPORTING MEANS BEING DISPLACERABLE IN SAID GUIDE MEANS IN A DIRECTION ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE GUN BARREL, AND LOCKING MEANS FOR LOCKING THE FRONT SUPPORTING MEANS IN ANY SELECTED POSITION IN SAID GUIDE MEANS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE TO THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT OF THE REAR SUPPORTING MEANS. 